Believe What You Read
by KAM wuz here
Summary: For startraveller776 - After Sarah returns from the Labyrinth, she locks away all her shattered dreams and trades them in for reality. School bullies invite her to a sleepover with horrible intentions, and force her into a position that leaves her with no choice but to accept unlikely help.
1. Prologue

**Monsters**

**by **

**Matchbook Romance**

Girl, what's come between you and me?  
Look right through me  
I won't let it go  
I can't help this feeling anymore  
I will go anywhere  
Maybe you'll see

We are  
We are the shaken  
We are the monsters  
Underneath your bed  
Believe what you read  
We are  
We are mistaken  
We are the voices  
Inside your head  
Believe what you see

It came as no surprise  
You bring me back to life  
Believe me  
You bleed for me, I'll bleed for you  
I caught you walking through walls  
Drowned with applause  
From the world that makes me crazy

We are the monsters  
Underneath your bed  
We are the voices  
Underneath your bed  
We are the monsters

We are  
We are the shaken  
We are the monsters  
Underneath your bed  
Believe what you read  
We are  
We are mistaken  
We are the voices  
Inside your head  
Believe what you see


	2. Surrender

_These are my dreams _  
_These are my beliefs_  
_ I want to trade them in for something real _  
_ and just let it go, let it go_  
_ let it go, let it go_  
_ let it go, let it go_

She had found it when all her friends had disappeared. When she had said goodbye to Hoggle, and Ludo, and Sir Didymus, after she changed into her pajamas and cleaned up the remnants of their little party, after she had made certain that her father and Karen were asleep so she could settle down peacefully... When she was completely alone, she found it.

Besides the dim blue of the moon, the transparent crystal sphere shed the only illumination in her dark room. She felt like she was suffocating as she approached her vanity where it sat, still and softly bathing the area with white light. Her legs were weak, and she trembled slightly. Everything felt surreal suddenly.

The sight of her reflection in the mirror was almost ghastly. The light gave her pale skin an awful glow, and casted shadows over her face that made her cheeks and eyes look sunken in. A whimper escaped her, at the moment a wisp of memory that felt ancient drifted through her mind.

_It will show you your dreams..._

Why was that thing in her bedroom? On her vanity? Why was one of _his _crystals in_ her_ world? What was she supposed to do with it? She didn't want it. She didn't want _anything _of _his_. Especially not that glass sphere of lies and manipulation...

_But is it? _she couldn't help thinking. _Is it a lie? Is it real?_

She spread her shaking hand slowly above the crystal, and carefully dipped her middle finger down to touch the smooth, glowing surface. Her fingertip barely grazed it. A sob caught in her throat as the crystal shattered, glass shards ringing all over her vanity and floor. It was followed immediately by a sharp pain that made her cry out, tears springing to her eyes.

_But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby..._

She lifted her hand closer to her face, turning it over, and just hardly saw the sliver of glimmering glass sticking up from her finger. She carefully pulled it out. The tip was stained red with her blood, which oozed from the tiny wound on her skin. Her head throbbed horribly, and the glass splinter fell from her fingers. She moaned and pressed her fists to her temples, squeezing her eyes shut against the agony.

The moment her vision went dark, a bright burst of colors swirled around her, such as she had never seen before. No, perhaps _once _before...at a goblin masquerade... And in the midst of the dancing colors, she saw herself, reflected in a huge mirror, wearing a fairytale white gown adorned with gold gems and standing beside _him._ Though he was only revealed standing in the mirror. The expression on her face was stunned, but she didn't know what she was feeling. She was freezing cold; numb.

He grinned at her. A wicked grin—a near terrible, beautiful sneer. He raised his hand, and laced lightly around his fingers was a pure white ribbon. He pulled on it sharply, and her eyes hardly had enough time to trace it to its other end before the ribbon ripped in half from the force. He continued to leer all the while at Sarah's reflection self as her end of the ribbon, tied around her wrist, was slowly stained with a blood red color. The blood continued to seep up her sleeve, across her breasts, and spilling down her entire dress. The same was happening to Sarah, as her vision in the mirror wore her reflected horror.

The Goblin King hissed through his teeth and made a quick gesture with his hands. The mirror shattered out of its frame with a deafening crack.

She felt like something punched her in the stomach, knocking all the wind from her, and her eyes snapped open just in time to watch the shards of the crystal sparkle and completely vanish. Save for one piece. The piece that got stuck in her finger, which was still bleeding. She collapsed to her knees, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. She finally managed a gasp to regain her breath, and a different wave of unpleasantness shot through her gut. She almost didn't grab her trashcan fast enough. She bent over it and vomited violently.

Tears silently streamed down her face as she sat back, weak and needing the support of her dresser at her back. She wiped her face and breathed carefully, attempting to calm herself. She spoke. Her voice was scarcely a whisper, her lips nearly unmoving.

"Consider the message received, Goblin King."

With barely enough strength to do so, she pushed the trashcan aside and pulled herself to her feet. She stifled a sob and coughed, grimacing at the vile taste in her mouth. She wrenched open the bottom drawer of her vanity table as wide as it could go, and began throwing items into it. Her little music box with the princess figurine, a small statue that bared a resemblance to _him_, books on faeries, fairytales, theater magazines, pictures of her actress mother... Every bit of childish nonsense went in that drawer.

That was all it was, childish nonsense. None of it was real. They were only dreams. Dreams just as shattered as that crystal. She could have had her dreams... Now they were shattered and vanished. And she didn't want to look at anything that reminded her of them.

_But it was all lies anyway, _she tried desperately to convince herself. _It was all lies...just horrible lies..._

She didn't want lies anymore. She wanted the truth. She wanted reality. It was all she had left.

The last thing to go in the drawer was that remaining glass sliver of the crystal. She shut the drawer so hard her mirror almost fell over. After digging the key out from a different compartment, she locked the drawer, and threw the key as hard as she could to the other side of her room before falling back to the floor. She heard the key ricochet off several items before it was silent. She didn't see where it landed.

The one item that she didn't have the heart to put in the drawer was that little red book entitled "Labyrinth".

* * *

**This story is dedicated to startraveller776 for she desperately wants to read more stories in which Jareth and Sarah BOTH hate each other very much in the beginning. She writes comedy SO well, but I...do not much. I don't think so anyway. So although she would probably prefer to be this a comedy or on the lighter side, I'm choosing to go all out on her request and make the two completely LOATHE each other.**

**And I know this is a short chapter; only this one is going to be this short. Otherwise I'll probably post quick anyway.**

**Please review! It would be most appreciated! ^^ Thank you for reading!**

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**P.S. I run a little "Capt. Jack Sparrow" RP page on facebook... *sad puppy dog eyes* Some luv pwease? **


	3. The Greatest Fall

**If you guys have never read anything by startraveller776, DO IT!**

**ENJOY!**

_And every night we couldn't sleep_  
_ I didn't know why, but didn't ask questions_  
_ because it was the first time in my life  
__yeah, the first time in my life_  
_ Where I did something right  
__I set myself up for the greatest fall of all time_

"We've just _got _to do something."

Their voices were hushed, but even then one could hear the sharp, harsh inflection of the whispers. Their eyes were piercing, warning; their mouths were shaped, merciless, sneering beneath a friendly smile; their nails were razors painted with blood and pining to claw at something fresh. Everyone knew this about them three; it was so equally entrancing and terrifying. They huddled at an open locker, applying an extra layer of eye shadow or lip gloss, and no one would dare to speak to them. In fact, no one would get close to them.

Occasionally, however, there were those who were _not _afraid of them. And they did _not _take kindly to those people.

Not at all.

"She is _such _a _freak_, though," Lisa chirped.

Jeanette flicked her an irritated look. "I _know _she's a freak. That's why I want to mess with her. Did you even hear the way she tried to show me up in Murphy's class? And he's _all _over her too! Teacher's pet." Her lips twisted in disgust as she worked on teasing her hair upwards. "Thinks she's hot shit, and Murphy totally buys into it every time! She gets an A, and I get a D."

Marissa snorted, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the lockers. "Maybe she's blowing him."

Jeanette made a noise of disgust. "Nasty, Marissa," she snapped. And then she paused and thought about it. "Ew. She probably is. And I'll just bet she's got some dirty four-one-one on her like that; I don't believe her for a second."

"Like, seriously," Lisa said, inspecting her fingers. "And what's up with that stupid book she's carrying around all the time? She, like, _never _puts it down! Like I said, she's a freak. I don't even want to get close to her, she—" Lisa looked up, sucking in a breath. "Ooh, do you think she could be a serial killer or something?"

"No, stupid," Jeanette barked, whirling around and slamming her locker door shut. "Will you two shut up?"

A boy had stopped in the hall because of how hard she shut her locker. He was rather small, skinny and awkward, with too-large glasses.

Jeanette glared murderously at the boy. "What the fuck are you looking at, flamer?"

The boy started and stuttered something out—it may have been an apology—before hurrying away. The other two girls watched him go with disinterest.

Jeanette huffed and fell back against her locker, crossing her arms over her chest and thrumming her fingers on an arm. "I am _going _to find a way to get that girl back," she vowed. "But I can't do it in school. My dad will kill me if I get suspended one more time. I can't have any witnesses around..."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "So, like, what? Drag her into a dark alley?"

Jeanette shrugged.

Marissa blew a large bubble out of the gum she was chewing, and popped it with her tongue.

"My parents are gone this weekend," Jeanette said suddenly. Her eyes gleamed with a dark wickedness. "Hey, that's it. Why don't we invite her over for a little...slumber party?"

"For what?" Lisa asked indifferently.

"I don't know yet." Jeanette smiled. "But she is going to regret what she did to me."

"I think it's perfect," Marissa said.

Jeanette didn't need Marissa's opinion regardless. Of course it was a perfect plan. _She _thought of it. Still grinning like a shark, Jeanette straightened from the lockers, and gestured for the other two girls to follow. "Let's go, girls."

* * *

Sarah glanced up at the clock in the lunchroom, and sighed. There was still far too much time in the period left. Maybe she could just wander over to the school library and just browse the shelves...even though she already had seven books currently out from the library. She closed the book she was reading, gathered her things into her arms, and drew up her legs to spin around on the bench. She stood and tried to take a step forward—

She jumped a bit in surprise and almost fell right back into her seat. She straightened her spine and looked warily up at Jeanette. It was a long way to look up; the girl's heels were ridiculous. She could _not _stop wondering how Jeanette didn't topple over like a clown on stilts. And that hair...Jesus, it must have given her _another _extra five inches in height.

"How are you doing, Sarah?" Jeanette asked. She was smiling brightly, and it made Sarah suspicious. The eagerness was mirrored by Jeanette's friends, who flanked her and make an impassible wall around Sarah.

Sarah held her books tighter to her chest. "I'm fine," she answered tightly. "Did you...want something?"

Sarah wasn't an idiot. She knew Jeanette didn't like her. Probably even hated her. She didn't know why though; the first time she ever spoke to Jeanette was earlier that morning in her English class, during a debate. Since Sarah and Jeanette were on opposing sides, their teacher paired them off against each other in front of the class. At the end of the class, their teacher announced Sarah had won the debate. Jeanette clearly was not happy.

"Well, I just wanted to talk," Jeanette said sweetly, innocently. "Hey, why is it you don't sit with anyone at lunch?"

Sarah gave a small shrug. "Oh, I don't know. I've just always sat here and no one's ever come over to sit with me." She smiled faintly. "But that's okay, it doesn't bother me. I really never—"

"Yeah, whatever," Jeanette interrupted sharply, waving a hand. Her many bracelets clinked harshly against each other. "Listen. The three of us are having a little party this weekend. Nothing big, just us three, a little dancing, a little T.V., some games, a sleepover. So come hang with us."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly. That was unexpected. "You want _me _to hang out with you?"

"Yeah, of course. It'll be fun. Look." She reached out quickly and grabbing Sarah' hand, stretching out her arm. She held up her other hand, and snapped her fingers.

Marissa quickly fished in her purse and pulled out a tube of lip gloss, placing it triumphantly in Jeanette's waiting hand. Jeanette, open-mouthed and narrow-eyed, looked over at the other girl.

"A _pen_, stupid! Give me a _pen_."

Lisa snorted. Marissa rolled her eyes and replaced the lip gloss in her purse, exchanging it for a pen. Jeanette snatched it from her, clicked it, and began writing across Sarah's arm.

"Here," she said. "This is my number. Call me, and I'll tell you the details." She released Sarah's arm and stepped back, raising an already high-arched eyebrow. "You got that?"

Sarah nodded quickly. "Yeah, sure thing."

Jeanette only grinned, clicking the pen closed. Then she put the end of it between her teeth and winked at a passing boy. Her eyes flashed quickly to Sarah before she wiggled her fingers in a goodbye wave and turned, striding away with her friends close behind as always.

* * *

Sarah rode her bike home with an absent mind, not quite comprehending what had happened in school, and not really trying to. Merlin was waiting by the door for her arrival, as he always was, wagging his tail happily. He wasted no time in jumping up onto her when she walked through the door, jumping up to attack her face with his tongue. She dropped her backpack and fell back against the door under his weight and excitement, laughing and scratching behind his ears.

"Saraaaahhhh!"

Sarah coaxed Merlin off her, watching the toddler that maneuvered quickly around his toy blocks to run over to her. He laughed with delight, staring up at her with wide, sparkling blue eyes, and holding out his arms. Sarah obligingly picked the boy up, brushing blonde hair from his cherub face.

"Hey, Toby, how ya doin'?"

"Swaraw," he said, his thumb in his mouth. He then proceeded to explain how his day had been and what games he had been playing in a long list of mumblings and giggles that only Sarah could translate with ease.

"Hi, Sarah," Karen greeted as she whirled away from the kitchen counter, an apron tied around her waist, her blonde hair a slight mess. "How was school?" She walked over quickly and took Toby from Sarah's arms. "Toby, dear, it's time for lunch." She placed the weakly protesting toddler in his booster seat.

Sarah shuffled further into the house. "Fine," she answered vaguely.

Karen put down a plate of food on the table in front of Toby. When she turned back to Sarah with a huff, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's on your arm?"

"Huh? Oh." She extended her arm and looked at the inked numbers. "Uhm...a few girls from my class invited me to a sleepover party. She gave me her phone number..."

Karen's eyes lit up. "You were invited to a party? Well, Sarah, that's _lovely_! You're going to call the girl, aren't you?"

She hesitated. "I...don't know... I mean, she's not my friend, and I don't really—"

Karen groaned, throwing her hands on her hips. "Sarah," she admonished, "that shouldn't matter. Haven't you thought about _making _friends with her? It would be nice for you to have some friends. You won't know until you talk with her."

Sarah's lips twisted as she considered it.

"You never know," Karen said. "You two might end up being best friends."

* * *

**So...there's one thing I think people sometimes forget about Sarah, including me. She's from the 80's! I WANT 80's LINGO! So...there you go ^^**

**Thank you for reading!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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